Dental alloy for swaged dentures



Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK m'UL'EN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR '10 BAKER & COM- I PANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY IbENTAL ALLOY FOR SWAGED DENTURES Io Drawing. Application filed November '18, 1929. Serial No. 408,159.-

This invention relates in general to alloys, and more particularly to an alloy especially adapted for use in making swaged metal dentures.

Metal bases for dentures are usually swaged, so that the metal of which such bases are to be formed must be hard enough to provide the necessary stiffness or rigidity in the denture and at the same time must 1 be capable of withstanding a swaging operation without cracking. Also the metal should have a high melting point to withstand soldering temperatures, and it is desirable that the metal resist oxidation and '15 discoloration.

Furthermore, it is obvious that the wearer of a denture desires it-to be as inconspicuous as possible,.and I have discovered most unexpectedly that this result can be accomplished if the metal base of the denture can be made of a substantially white metal or alloy which will take and retain a high polish so as to reflect the color of the oral cavity.

Accordinglyone object of the invention is to provide a metal base for dentures comprising an alloy of this character which can be burnished, in addition to being swaged, and which is substantially white in color so as to v reflect the oral cavity and thereby itself been come invisible.

Another object is to provide such a metal base for dentures which is subject in only a minor degree to oxidation so that it will retain its natural color and can be perfectly soldered with ease, which are extremely desirable features.

Other objects are to provide a metal base for dentures comprising an alloy of this character which shall have an extremely hi h melting point so as to be capable of wit standing the temperature under which working thereof is carried on; to provide a metal base for dentures having sufiicient hardness to allow it to be polished to provide thereon a. mirror-like finish, and to obtain other advantages and results as will be more fully brought out by the following descripion.

I have discovered most unexpectedly that an alloy of palladium and rhodium is admirably adapted for metal bases for dentures, and to accomplish all of the foregoing objects and results. The palladium and rhodium are combined preferably in the proportions of ninety-nine percent (99%) palladium and one ercent 1%) rhodium. However, I have found that these proportions may be varied by decreasing the amount of palladium and correspondingly increasing the amount of rhodium up to five per cent- (5'-0) of the latter; for example, palladium may be decreased from ninety-nine percent (99%) to ninety-five percent (95%) and the rhodium increased from one percent (1%) to five percent (5 70) respectively.

The rhodium intensifies the White color and also provides sufiicient hardness to permit the surface of the alloy to be polished to a mirror-like finish. The alloy has a very high melting point, about 1550 0., and is therefore fully capable of withstanding all temperatures to which the alloy may be subj ected. Furthermore, only very slight oxidation of the alloy takes place under soldering temperatures, and even this frequentl disappears entirely. Perfect soldering o the alloy can thus be accomplished with ease and no deterioration takes place in the quality or appearance of the alloy in the oral cavity.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A metal base for a denture formed of an alloy consisting of from ninety-five percent (95%) to ninety-nine percent (99%) palladium and from one percent (1%) to five percent (5%) rhodium, respectively.

2. A metal base for a denture formed of an alloy consisting of palladium and rhodium in the proportions of ninety-nine percent (99%) palladium and one percent (1%) rhodium.

FREDERICK MAULEN. 

